Hi Folk
There are loads of people on this chat site and we have all taken loads of cruises so why don't we pull our resources.
There has to be some great secrets/tips and hints that people have gained over all these years. For instance, secret menu options, the great ways to get cheap spa treatments and the best places to get your cookies on the ships.
So spread the word about which cruise line and ship it was on.
I'll kick things off with on the Splendour of the Seas if you want to get away from the crowds on the sun deck and just want to sit in the sun and read your book, go to deck 4, everyone there has the same idea.
Thanks in advance
Billy

Hi cruisers,

our favorite quite places on the Brilliance and the Jewel were the deckchairs on the Lifeboat-Deck. It was wonderful, sitting there, reading a book, being close to the waves and almost empty.
Our favorite place on the SUN was the Observation Lounge, all over the day. You can go outside to watch the sea or wherever you are, going inside, sometimes getting some complimentary beverages or small appetizers.

@mps69, we`ll try deck 4 in about 50 days on the Splendour.
Marita

oppis: you are going to have such a great time. You have to post from onboard the ship- I did it and it was a thrill. It was just great to write to everyone who is obsessed with the same topic while you are actually indulging the obsession!

Tell me more about the cruise- where, what ports, with whom, etc!

Get deals on spa treatments by booking on the days you are in a port of call, they lower the prices those days, also wait to buy stuff in the ships stores till the last day when they put everything on sale, unless of course it's a jewelry item they they might not have more of in stock. Save on bottled water carry a large insulated water bottle and fill it up on lido deck each morning. Make sure to pack extra batterys for your cameras and enough film or memory cards, they are marked up on the ship. Pack a small night light cabins are pitch black, and bring a power strip most cabins have only one outlet. Save money on shore excursions by booking your own, just make sure your back to the ship at least an hour before departure.

Hi Carlalena,

our cruise is starting november 12th in Barcelona, next day in Alicante )Spain), then Malaga (Spain), seaday, Tenerife (beautiful island), 6 days at sea, Bahamas, 2 days at sea and then arriving in Galveston (I hope so) on november 26th.
Cruising together with a couple, we met last year on the Jewel OTS on the Baltic cruise.
We also thought, being together with a friend of us, a pianist, who was hired to play in the Schooner Bar. But he and 16 other crew members had to fly back to their homecountrys, because RCCL send them wrong forms for medical exams.
We are very sorry, that we are not together for 2 wonderful weeks on the Splendour. But I´m sure, that we´ll have a wonderful cruise.
Although I´m a bit afraid about the weather and seasickness on the Atlantic for 6 days in november.
I´m already excited, because I´ve worked so hard, the last months and me and my husband deserve another cruise this year.
And, we got it for a really good price.

More questions???? By the way, if you are interested, take a look at our new private website, including three cruises, SUN, Brilliance and Jewel. Zenith is following within the next weeks.
http://www.oppermann-wuppertal.de


best regards
Marita

If you want to sample the specialty restaurants on a cruise at a bargain price - plan to dine there the first night of the cruise. There is almost always a special deal on the Service Charge the first night only.

When going through the Panama Canal or on an Alaska cruise - don't try to fight the crowds on the upper decks for a good view - head for the lifeboat deck instead. It is less crowded AND the views are sometimes much better from that vantage point.

Shelley

The one thing I do for every cruise is to pack a 16oz or 20oz plastic glass for water/iced tea. The ships only have 6oz glasses in the buffet areas, and the bars seem to only have 8oz...

I always buy a coffee cup of the ship from the gift shop and then use it every day of the cruise in the morning. The coffee cups on the ship are dinky and once I get the ship's coffee blend down, I can add enough hot water to get it to my taste. After the cruise I take it home as my only souvenir of the cruise and tend to remember things about the cruise every time I use it.

Tom

quote:

Originally posted by Tom Ogg:
I always buy a coffee cup of the ship from the gift shop and then use it every day of the cruise in the morning. The coffee cups on the ship are dinky and once I get the ship's coffee blend down, I can add enough hot water to get it to my taste. After the cruise I take it home as my only souvenir of the cruise and tend to remember things about the cruise every time I use it.

Tom

TOM: who wants cruise chip coffee, anyway? That was the only real irritation on my last cruise- the coffee was vile (as it always is, but this was the first time I didn't have a little coffee maker in the room). It is never brewed- always reconstituted. So I drank tea. I don't know why you need a large mug- I couldn't turn around without a waiter asking me if I wanted more tea.

I do like the large gift shop mugs, though. Brought two home and they are excellent (no waiters here, sadly).

Carla

You might want to try Costa cruise lines Carla the coffee on this line gets highly rated.

Carla, sorry I missed your post. I usually mix hot water with the coffee on the ship to come up with an acceptable blend for my coffee mug. While it isn't Starbucks, it is drinkable. BTW, I got great lattes at Seattle's Best Coffee on the Vision of the Seas.

Tom

If you plan to do things on shore, make sure you start your trip with lots of small change. Great for tips, but also good for exact change. A common tactic is the driver/vendor who says they can't make change and then suddenly is at a loss for English.